Path of Darkness
by T'Sura
Summary: Saavik’s undercover mission to Romulus goes terribly wrong when she meets several people from her dark and secret past. Please reade & review! My first story!
1. Chapter 1

Path of Darkness

By:

T'Sura of Vulcan

Summary- Saavik's undercover mission to Romulus goes terribly wrong when she meets several people from her dark and secret past.

Captain Saavik's Log- Star Date 71805

The Federation's mission is going as planned. We are approaching the Neutral Zone and will be there in approximately 2.68 days. I am….apprehensive for my part in this mission for I have not returned to the place of my birth since leaving with Spock when I was very young. It brings back many memories which I had hoped never to think upon again. It will be difficult to fit in on Romulus after leaving so long ago and studying control on Vulcan for so many years. I cannot help but wonder if my training will come undone by the emotional work I will have to do. I will pass the travel time we have by giving a report of my experiences which I believe will be useful for the mission.

MEMORY 1- Hellguard- Saavik, age 5

The hot metal rod with the strange markings looms closer to the young and frightened girl. An older Romulan man grins an evil looking grin.

"This will mark you as one of the others. You know, we really should give you a name. After all the hell you put us through we should give you something to remember us by. What do you think Koteth?" A tall Romulan holds the rod and turns to another man, Koteth, who looks at his scratched and bitten hands.

"Saavik would be a fitting name for she fights like a little wild cat when she is belligerent enough."

The Romulan men share a laugh and the unnamed Romulan presses the hot piece of metal to Saavik's shoulder. She screams in agony and chokes back tears as it burns her. She can smell the flesh and see the bubbles on her shoulder coming from underneath the white hot metal. She manages to stay conscious and once the men had thrown the piece of metal back into the fire when it had cooled sufficiently, she ran away, dragging her right arm a little, not wanting to bring on any more pain.


	2. Chapter 2

PRESENT TIME- Star Date 71805

That memory was most likely the nicest I have of Hellguard. That mark which I still bear today is that shared of the _therieull_, or the mark of the Children of Hellguard. It certainly was named properly for the things that went on there. Perhaps a memory of a meal shared by the older children would be beneficial to the Councilman who reads this log, if it does not become classified.

MEMORY 2- Saavik, age 6

"You give that back to me, Saavik, or I'll kill you! I hunted long and hard for this! You go get your own!" A scrawny looking boy named Moran made a last and futile swipe for the food article in question. Saavik ran away though and climbed a tall tree with the desired piece of meat in her teeth. From time to time the older men from Romulus put large pieces of food in hidden places to watch the children fight over them. It was like watching a favorite sport, only this one was much more barbaric and brutal for often the food was so desired that the children would kill for it. Once high enough in the tree, Saavik shook her head, wagging the meat back and forth tauntingly. She tore small chunks off the large piece and gobbled them greedily. Below, the little boy's face became soaked with tears as his stomach rumbled. Feeling the tiniest bit of remorse for the boy, Saavik threw him a small piece from her place in the tree. He retrieved it and ate it hungrily, but was still upset from the loss of his food. He cried at the base of the tree, cursing at Saavik and cursing the stolen food which she ate. Saavik ignored him until she had finished the stolen morsel. Then she climbed down and ran away before Moran could catch her or hurt her. She climbed into the building where her she kept what meager belongings she had and went directly into the place where she slept. She hid there for quite some time, half expecting Moran to come after her and come crashing in on her sleeping place. After an hour, Saavik decided it was safe to fall asleep and did so. But in about four hours, she was awakened by a noise from the level below hers in the building. Figuring it was just Moran, she relaxed, knowing the boy to be a frightened little thing who couldn't fend for himself even if he tried. She even tried to fall asleep, until she heard footsteps coming up the stairs that led to her hideaway. She grabbed her favourite possession, a knife which she kept sharp at all times. She had killed with it before and was determined to set Moran straight if he felt so inclined to pay her a visit.

Sure enough, Moran let himself show out on the landing of Saavik's level. She watched him from her secure hiding place, her fingers wrapping around the knife's jewel bedecked handle. Moran was crying again, the little whelp. The Elements take him and his soft little heart. Saavik's blood was boiling. She _wanted_ the fight. She _wanted_ Moran to challenge her. Saavik wanted for him to go away or fight. She would kill him if necessary. Times had changed and so had alliances. _All the more reason for you to leave, you little whelp of a boy. Not even the Vulcans would have you, for you cry too much. The humans can take you. Yes. You would be a perfect match with the sniveling humans._


	3. Chapter 3

PRESENT TIME- Star Date 71805

As I thought upon these painful memories, I realized I had not included an explanation for this mission in any of my reports. Several weeks ago, the Federation starship, the _USS Remington_ discovered that a Romulan warbird was eyeing up several Federation outposts near the Neutral Zone. The Federation has sent false transmissions to the Romulan Empire to fool them into thinking that a highly desired drug, which they have wanted for years, is being stored there. Two escorts and I will go aboard the warbird as Romulan soldiers with the drugs, which are nothing more than vials filled with a dye-injected sleep-inducing drug. We are to stay in the Romulan Empire selling these drugs until they send us word through an old friend who is a House Minor on Romulus that it is safe to return and they have the information they want. As I sit writing these reports, I realize that my mind has begun the process of reverting back to my days on Hellguard. A single sound in the middle of the night was enough to make me reach for my Honour Blade, which I have not carried with me for years. A whisper in the hall or a touch unsolicited makes me turn around and glare at the offender. These...emotional bursts come sporadically, but I am trying to maintain control over them until we reach the outpost. I cannot allow my emotions to put this mission in jeopardy. Not yet.

In order to make these reports easier to understand and read, I have decided to switch the recounting of my memories in third person to first person. It is true these will not be sent to Starfleet Command until we are underway on the warbird, but it will make it easier for me as well to recount them to you if I put myself on that terrible planet again.

MEMORY 3- Saavik, age 7

It was the middle of a starry night. I was almost asleep when I heard a strange humming noise. Figuring it was just the stupid older boys getting ready for the annual lighting of explosives, I pulled the ragged sheet I called a blanket over my head and tried to go back to sleep. But when I heard the floorboards creaking and moaning, I pulled the blanket around my neck and looked around. I saw shapes floating in the darkness, materializing in golden beams of light. They began speaking to one another. I left my sleeping place and crept softly to a different hiding place above them in the rotting rafters. I was afraid; the men who usually beamed down were cruel and enjoyed the sport of watching us fight over the scraps of food they gave us. As I crawled along, one of the boards fell apart beneath my feet. Just as I fell through the air, a hand reached out and grabbed me and pulled me to safety. I turned to see who had pulled me back up and gazed into the face of one of my favourite older boys; Ruanek. I gave him a feral grin. We crept back to a place across the room from my sleeping niche. The men were holding peculiar looking pieces of metal aloft in the air. They emitted bleeping noises and were all lit up with little tiny moving flashing lights.

One of the men was dressed in a bright yellow shirt and black pants and had a head of golden hair with a touch of brown mixed in. Another two men who were both dressed in blue shirts and black pants stood to either side of him. The man to the right was a man with graying hair and sharp, piercing blue eyes. The other was completely different. He had curved ears like mine and immaculately kept black hair and upturned eyebrows. He looked very much like Ruanek, but taller and older and his dark eyes told of great knowledge. He looked so much like the cruel men that I involuntarily let out a gasp. Ruanek clapped his hand over my mouth and hit me, hard. The men shone their lights into our hiding place, catching us right in the middle of all three beams of yellow light.

"RUN!" Ruanek shouted in our language, a subset of the common Romulan tongue.

I tried to run as fast as I could, but my legs would not work properly. The tall Romulan-looking man practically threw his light at the other two men and caught me, holding me fast. But I was quick and managed to land a good deep bite into his arm. I could see the blood beginning to flow. He said nothing and did not release me. That made me angry. I wriggled around like a fish on a hook. Kicking, screaming, scratching and biting, I focused all of my energy on freeing myself. But there was no escaping the strong grasp of the tall man. What he did next surprised me most. He spoke. But he didn't just speak his language, he spoke _mine_.

"Do not thrash about so. Struggling will not help your situation. I am Spock of Vulcan. We are from the Federation. I am here to take you to a ship above with the other inhabitants of this planet. We will give you medical care and food." I had not stopped struggling until I heard the last word. I was so hungry. I knew he might be lying but to get food was a rare thing.

"Food." It was all I could manage to say because of how tight he had been holding me and because of how kind his eyes looked.

"Yes, little one. Food." His eyes sparkled with sadness and the vast knowledge he had accumulated. He held me tightly, but so that I could not get away. We looked out over the city of rubble and then in a twinkle it was gone.


End file.
